Brake-actuating lever.



J. NOVOTNY.

BRAKE ACIUATING LEVER. APPLICATION HLED AuG.25. 191s.

1,242,366. Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR wrmassgs I I ATTORNEY BRAKE ACTUATING LEVER.

J. NOVOTNY.

APPLICATION HLED AUG-25, I9I6.

WTT N ESSES Patented 0% 9,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Jmasflkm bg INVENTOR ATTORNEY "srn r JAMES NOVOTNY, on UNION cnnrnmwisconsrn;

BRAKE-ACTUATING LEVER.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns Novo'rNY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Union Center, in the county of Juneau and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-' Actuating Levers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved brake actuating lever and the principal object of the invention'is to provide an improved type of winding. drum and also improved means for mounting the drum and turning'the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of actuating lever and improved means for connecting the same with the sleeve upon which the drum and ratchet are mounted lever will be rotatably mounted upon the sleeve but the drum andratchet wheel held against rotation thereon, Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forreleasably connecting one end of a line with the drum.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the improved winding drum.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the improved winding drum and lever.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the drum, ratchet wheel and lower portion of the actuating lever with the sleeveand stub shaft shown in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the sleeve and stub shaft shown in section, the drum and ratchet wheel together with the sleeve being moved to an adjusted position. Fig. 5 is a view in elevationlooking at the inner face of the drum. I v

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the sup-v porting frame and ratchet wheel with the drum removed and the actuating lever in place. I Fig. 7 .is a fragmentary view showlng a latch carried by the lever.

The base plate or bracket 10, as itmight be termed'is provided with fastener receiving openings 11 through which screws or other fasteners12 may pass, the base plate being connected with a wagon body at any suitable point. In the present illustration, the device is shown connected with onewall of a wagon box, the upper strip-of which is indicated by the numeral 13; This base A sleeve 24 whi so that the actuating I stub shaft 14: passes.

has a reduced outerend portion15' and is prov ded ;w1t h a longitudinally extending openmg 1j6 through which a bolt 17 passes,

Specification of Letters ratent; Pate t (meg, 191*; Application filed August 25,191 seriarivaiiesze, i i Y plateisprovided-with a stub shaft 14: which I the head .18 of the bolt being countersunk V tending beyond the outerend ofthe stub shaft 14L and carrying a washer 1 9 and a securing nut 20. It'will thus beseen" that the ratchetwheel 21, actuating lever 22 and. winding drum 23 will be releasably held upon the stubshaft.v '7

h serves as a bushingis rotatably mounted upon the stub shaft 14 and terminates at the reduced end portion 15 of thisstub shaft as shown in Fig. 4, and also in Fig. 3. This bushing has its inner end portion provided with flattened faces 25 and its outer end portion with, flattened faces 26, the flattened faces 26 being placed at right angles to the flattened faces 25,.thus providing abutment shoulders 27 and 28.

which will limit the longitudinal movement and the inner end of the sleeve and there .fore when this ratchet wheel is turned, it

will rotate the sleeve upon the stub shaft.

The winding drum is provided with a socket 29 conforming to the contour of the sleeve between the abutment shoulders 28 and the outer end of the sleeve thus causing the winding drum tov rotate with the sleeve, the socket 29 terminating in an opening 30 through which the reduced end 15 of the Therefore when the sleeve. is inserted in the ratchet wheel 21,

and the sleeve 1s putin place with the drum fitting upon the outer end 'of the' sleeve as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4:,the washer 19 can be put in place and the nut 20 then screwed upon the bolt or pin 17 to securely hold the sleeve, ratchet wheel and drum in stub shaft. Before face of the ratchet wheel and as the opening pawl 33 which pawlis slidably mounted in.

and the threaded end portion of the bolt eX- place upon the stub shaft but permit them to rotate freely upon the the drum 23-is put in place, the, lever will befplaced upon the sleeve against the outer 1 "in the lower end'of this lever is circular, this the bearing 32 and has its stem3l extending through the bearing bracket 31 and connected with the draw-rod 35 whichextends up the lever and is connected with the hand grip 36. A spring 37 is placed upon the stem 34 between the bearing bracket 31 and the latch 33 and serves to yieldably hold the latch in operative engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 21. A locking latch38 of engagement with the ratchet wheel, this ratchet wheel will be held in the adjusted position by the latch 38; An arm 40 is providedfor this, latch 38 and terminates in an abutment finger' 4:1 for a purpose which will be hereinafter brought out.

The line 42 which leads from a suitable brake mechanism not shown, extendsupon the drum andpasses through an opening 43 formed in the outer head of the drum. The outer end portion of this line passes about a lug 44}: formed upon the drum and is engaged by a clamp 45 connected with the drum and provided with an opening through which the threaded stem 46 passes so that when the wing nut 47 is tightened, the clamp will be brought into tight engagement with the line and securely hold the line in engagement withthe drum. It will thus be seen that when the lever is operated, it is simply necessary to rock the same back and forth, the ratchet wheel togeth'erwith the sleeve and drum being rotated when the lever is moved in one direction and the latch 38 holding the ratchet wheel, sleeve and drum against rotation when the lever is moved in the opposite direction.

' In order to permit the line 42 to unwind from the drum when'releasing the brake, there has been provided a pin 48 which is slidably carried by the lever and bearing bracket 32 and has its outer end portion pivotally connected with the bell crank 49 mounted upon the pin 50 carried by the boar ing'bracket 51. This bell crank 49 is engaged by the spring mounted upon the pin 50 and therefore will be normally hold in the position shown in Fig. 2 so that it will engage the upper edge of the base-board l0 and limit the swinging movement of the lever 22. A hand grip 53 is carried by this lever adjacent the hand grip 36 and is connected with the bell crank 49 by means of the draw rod 54 thus permitting the finger 48 to be easily drawn out of a position for engaging the upper edge of the baseboard 10. l Vhen it is desired to release the line,

and permit it to unwind from thedrum, the handg'r p 53 will be grasped and moved to draw the'linger l8 outwardly and the lever .22 will then be moved toward the left in Fig. 1 until the lever has movedsufiicient "to permit the pin to engage the outer face finger through engagement with the side face ofthe arm 40 of this latch 38 will swing the latch to release the ratchet wheel 21, movement of the lever v22 stopped when the finger 48 engages the finger 4-1. The hand grip 36 can be engaged now or when the hand grip 53 is released and it will thus be seen that when the latch 38 is moved to an inoperative position by the finger 48, the drum will be released and the line l2 can unwind thus releasing the brake. As soon as the lever 22 is returned to the position shown in Fig. 1, the spring 52 will return the finger 4 8 to the normal position and the spring 39 will return the latch 38 into operative engagement with the ratchet wheel T have therefore providedan improved winding drum and actuating means which is so constructed that the brake oper ating line %2 can be very easily and securely wound upon the drum and at the same time very easily and quickly released, it not being necessary to touch the latch38with the hand when releasing the brakes but necessary to swing the lever 22 and move the finger as so that it may engage the arm 40 of the latch e8 andmove the latch to an inoperative position.

-What is claimed is:

l. A brake operating device comprising a base board, a stub shaft extending from said base board, a sleeve 'rotatably mounted upon said stub shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted upon said sleeve and held against rotation thereon, a drum mounted upon said sleeve and h ld against rotation thereon, a lever rotatably mounted upon said sleeve between said drum and ratchet wheel, a latch pivotally connected with said base board and yieldably held in engagement with said ratchet wheel, said latch being providedwith an arm, a pawl movably connected with said lever and yieldably held in engagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel, means for moving said pawl out of engagement, with said ratchet wheel, a'finger movablycarried by said lever and yieldably held to extend in a position for engagement with the upper face of said base board and limit the'swinging movement of the lever, and means for drmving said finger out of its normal position to permitsaid lever to-be swung beyond the'normal amount and bring the finger into engagement with the arm of the first men ion d lat to} swing said latch out of simply being V engagement with the ratchet wheel and per- 7 mit the ratchet wheel, sleeve anddrum to' rotate for unwinding a line wound upon the drum. v

2. A' brake operating device comprising a carrier, a stub shaft extending from said carrier, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said stub shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted upon said sleeve-and held against rotation thereon, a drum mountedupon said sleeve and held against rotation thereon, a latch lever rotatably mounted upon said sleeve between the drum and ratchet wheel and provided with a pawl engaging said ratchet wheel, a latch pivotally connected with said carrier and yieldably held in engagement with said ratchet wheel-and provided with an abutment, a pin movably carried by said lever and yieldably held to extend in 'a position for engagement with said carrier to limit the swinging movement of the lever in one direction, and means for drawing said pin out of its normal position to permit the lever to be swung beyond its normal amount and bring the pin into engagement with the abutment of said latch to swing the latch out of engagement with the ratchet wheel and permit the ratchet wheel, sleeve and drum to rotate for unwinding a line wound upon the drum.

3. A brake operating device comprlsmg a carrier, a drum rotatably connected with said carrier and having a ratchet wheel, a latch lever for engaging the ratchet wheel to rotate the drum, a latch carried by the 7 carrier and yieldably held in engagement with said ratchet wheel and provided with an abutment, a finger carried by said lever and yieldably held to extend in a pos1t1on for engagement with the carrier to limit the swinging movement of the lever, and means for moving the finger out of pos1t1on for engagement with the carrier to permit the lever to swing beyond its normal amount and bring the finger into engagement with the abutment of the latch to move the'latch out of engagement with the ratchet wheel.

A brake operating device comprising a support, a stub shaft extending from said support, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the stub shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted upon the sleeve and held against rotation thereon, a winding drum} mountedi upon said sleeve and held against rotation thereon, a lever rotatably mounted upon said sleeve in operative relation to the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by said lever and yieldably held in engagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel, means for moving the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, a latch carried by said support and yieldably held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and having Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

Washington,

a handle 7 extension, a pin and actuating means carried by said lever and yieldably held in a position for the pin to limit the movement of the lever in one direction by engagement 7 with said support, said pin when moved swung in one direction beyond its normal extent engaging the handle extension of the latch carried by the support to swing the latch out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. V

5. A brake operating device comprising a support, a stub shaft extending from said support, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said stub shaft andhaving its inner end portion provided with flattened faces terminating in abutment shoulders and having its outer end portion provided with flattened faces terminating in abutment shoulders, a

ratchet wheel mounted upon the inner end portion of said sleeve and held again'st'rotation thereon by the flattened faces of the inner end portion of the sleeve and engagout of its normal position and said lever 1 ing the abutment shoulders at the ends of V outer face of said lever, means carried by i said stub shaft for engaging the winding drum to releasably hold the winding drum and sleeve upon the stub shaft, a pawl carried by said lever and yieldably held in engagement with the teeth of said ratchet 'wheel, means for moving the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, a latch carried by said support and yieldably held in engagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel and having an arm terminating in an abutment finger, a pin and actuating means carried by said lever and yieldably held in a position to limit the movement of the lever in one direction by engagement with said support, said pin when moved out of its normal position and said lever swung in one direction beyond its normal position engaging the arm of the latch carried by said base plate to swing the latch out of engagement with theratchet wheel, said pin engaging the abutment finger of the latch to limit the swinging movement of the lever.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, JAMES NOVOTNY.

Witnesses:

M. E. BLAKEMAN, N. BLAKEMAN.

by addressing the Commissioner-of Patents, 

